“Would it lose you the respect of your nobles to be found in bed with an enemy captain?” I asked, my mouth tight in frustration.
Astrid gave me a patronizing you-should-know-better look as she deftly pulled on the shoulder-length black gloves of her formalwear. “Of course not. As Emperor, it’s my prerogative to take delectable members of a conquered nation to my chambers in order to serve my needs. Several members of my court would be thrilled to see me take advantage of my prerogative for once, mostly because it would renew their hopes of seducing their way to power.” Shesnrkedat the thought, then planted a kiss on my forehead. “However, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t try to use you to manipulate me. You’ll be in danger if they know you were here with me.”
“Oh,” I said. I didn’t want to be any more noticed by the Imperial princes than I had been last night. If they all were as quick to pull blades as Count Gretsky and Count Gerasimov, then I wanted them to think me as little a threat as possible. I pulled on my riding breeches and began looking for my mess jacket. “It’s probably best my government doesn’t know about us either. They’d assume I’d defected to the Empire.”
“Or try to use you to manipulate me, along with every one of your so-called allies,” Astrid said, handing me my jacket. “I’m glad you agree.”
“I agree with the idea,” I corrected, pulling my second boot on, observing with slight dismay the scuff on its toe. Wiktor would have a disapproving tut-tut for me. “What I can’t wrap my head around is how I’m going to get back to my rooms without being seen in the most heavily guarded location in the galaxy. This isn’t Royal Colonial, and those aren’t prefects I’m sneaking around after an evening with you. The most paranoid people imaginable are here with well-armed guards.”
Astrid grinned, this time with satisfaction. “Remember, most of those guards are mine.” She pulled one of the tassels hanging from the bed canopy, and a mirror swung aside toreveal a hidden passage. I couldn’t very well call it secret, though, since a liveried hordling waited inside.
“How may I serve you, Mistress?” the hordling asked in a voice soft and slithery as a whisper.
“Take Captain Boylan back to his rooms, and keep him out of sight until he gets there,” Astrid ordered. “Return unseen, and you shall be rewarded.”
“Of course, Mistress.” The hordling bowed low, then stood to face me. “Come with me, sir.”
Astrid put her hands on my shoulders, bending low to whisper in my ear. “I’ll see you tonight.” Then, just as I was about to follow the scaly hordling into the narrow servants’ corridor, she gave my ass an enthusiastic squeeze.
The mirror door closed before I could say anything or, more preferably, respond in kind. I gazed wistfully at the stone door before turning away. I’d have to repay her twice over this evening.
The trip back took me through several winding staircases and narrow corridors, giving me plenty of time to think on the events of the night before. What had that been? A rebound fling? A way for the Emperor to relieve stress after a hard day? A resumption of our relationship a dozen years past?
“This is where I leave you, sir,” the hordling said, opening a door in what I’d thought was another ordinary stretch of wall. I peered out to see it had taken me to the hallway outside the Royal Commonwealth suite.
“What are we doing here? You were supposed to take me to my room.”
“And I have, sir, as close as I can,” the hordling said with a professional grovel.
“What? The servant corridors don’t run through the Royal Commonwealth quarters?” I asked.
“Oh, they do, sir, but the Commonwealthers have putsome nasty traps in them. Even if I could get past the security grid, I wouldn’t survive the autolancers. Or the gas mines. Your Commonwealther sensors are the best, you know.”
“They are?” I asked.
“Indeed, sir. We steal them every chance we get. Not here, though, Emperor’s orders.”
“Well, jolly good. Best follow orders,” I said, pleasantly surprised the Empire found any of our technology worth taking and even more pleased they couldn’t approach our private chambers.
“Indeed, sir. But here we are, and here I must leave you.”
“Well, thank you,” I said, checking both ways to make certain nobody was around to see me emerge into the corridor. When I glanced behind me, the doorway was gone, only an indistinguishable section of wall.
So far, so good. All I had to do was reach the dining room without anybody noticing. I checked my pocket watch. It was early enough. The parlor could be empty, but in case there was somebody waiting, I couldn’t look like I was sneaking in. Quietly, but upright, as though I were trying to be polite and not wake anybody, I opened the door, slipped through, and shut it behind me. Good, no one saw me.
I was halfway across the room before Boleslaw spoke.
“Ah, Captain Boylan. Good to see you’ve returned.”
I froze, doing my best not to grimace. Colonel Boleslaw sat in the dining room, looking inquisitively at me over a jammy doughnut, one thin eyebrow raised. She gestured at the spread before her. “Care for a cup of tea? You got here early. All the good biscuits haven’t been taken yet.”
Resigned to my fate, I walked into the dining room and sat across from the colonel. She dunked her doughnut into her cup, then took a bite and swallowed before questioning me.
“So, where were you last night?”
I couldn’t lie, not fully. She doubtless knew I hadn’t made it back to my own room, and someone would likely report that I’d been in the Emperor’s chambers. I bought a bit of time by grabbing a shortbread biscuit and pouring myself some tea.
“I’m afraid I made a bit of a tit of myself,” I said carefully, as though trying to spin bad news better. Boleslaw waited patiently, so I continued. “During my audience with the Emperor, I passed out.”
